COLOSSIANS 1:24-29
PAUL’S PRIMARY PURPOSE: PROCLAIMING CHRIST
Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.
SUSAN: Paul considered it a privilege to suffer for the sake of Jesus and His gospel. Incredibly, Paul experienced joy while being imprisoned for sharing the good news. Imagine that! Amazing!
SUSIE: His joy came from the flow of the Holy Spirit through him as he ministered to the Gentiles, leading them to Jesus and discipling them through correspondence. Paul was not saying that Christ’s sufferings were not sufficient to pay the price of our sin.
SUSAN: Jesus’s death on the cross did not ring up as “insufficient funds” with the Father. His righteousness account was completely perfect, and He was able to clothe in righteousness all who believe. Jesus paid it all, not for Himself but for us. As the old gospel song says, “I had a debt I could not pay. He paid a debt He did not owe.” You can listen to it here:
SUSIE: Paul indicated that those who seek to serve Jesus will suffer, especially ministers of the gospel of grace.
SUSAN: Yet our joy cannot be quenched.
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair; persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed. We always carry in our bodies the dying of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may be manifested in our bodies too. For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that Yeshua’s life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies. Thus death is at work in us but life in you.
2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (CJB)
4:12 Paul faced death every day, yet he was willing to pay that price if it meant salvation for those to whom he preached (cf. Phil. 2:17; Col. 1:24; 2 Tim. 2:10).
John MacArthur Study Bible
SUSIE: Jesus explained to His disciples that if He were persecuted, they would be as well.
Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
John 15:20 (NASB)
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
John 16:33 (AMPC)
SUSIE: Jesus did not say we “might” have trouble but that we “will.”
SUSAN: Just what I wanted to hear, NOT. He does promise that He will be there with us in the midst of our sufferings. We will never go through a trial alone because our Lord walks through them with us. Our trials, no matter how tremendous, will never exceed the magnitude of Christ’s trials in the garden of Gethsemane, at the whipping post, and on the cross.
SUSIE: Jesus went through those trials in obedience to His Father, knowing His death and resurrection would bring about our salvation and result in glorifying the Father. Our troubles bring glory to God when they are the result of obedience to Him.
SUSAN: Our victory is found in Jesus and revealed in us through His Holy Spirit at work in our lives.
ACTIVITY: Think back on the tough times you have been through as a believer. Were you able to draw strength from your relationship with Jesus? Do you experience growth in your walk with the Lord more in the easy times or the hard? Have you ever been “persecuted” because of your relationship with the Lord? Made fun of, denied a promotion, shunned by others? Remember, these trials are not punishments but are often the result of your obedience. You WILL be rewarded! Take heart and give thanks even in the middle of the difficult days because you are never alone, and nothing can separate you from God’s love!
Colossians 1:25 I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God,
SUSAN: God was Paul’s employer and had assigned him to a particular group as pastor and overseer, primarily the Gentiles. His job description was not by his choice, but by God’s design alone.
SUSIE: Paul did preach to Jews, but his main calling was to spread the gospel to the gentiles, the news that they too could be redeemed by Jesus’ death on the cross.
SUSAN: The gospel is for everyone who trusts in Jesus and His teachings.
Colossians 1:26-27. . . the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
SUSAN: We like verses 26-27 in The Voice translation:
Colossians 1:26-27 (VOICE) . . . the mystery of the ages! What was hidden for ages, generations and generations, is now being revealed to His holy ones. He decided to make known to them His blessing to the nations; the glorious riches of this mystery is the indwelling of the Anointed in you! The very hope of glory.
SUSAN: God has revealed the mystery to those He has chosen, those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah sent by the Father to redeem them.
SUSIE: And what is this mystery?
SUSAN: The mystery is that the Lord makes His home in us, the Holy Spirit comes to live in each believer.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not see Him nor know. But you know Him, for He abides with you and He will be in you.
John 14:16-17 (BSB)
SUSAN: Christ is in us via the vehicle of the Holy Spirit.
QUESTION: Contemplate the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit.” Is this “mystery” something you fully appreciate, or do you take it for granted? How can a person cultivate a greater awareness of the Holy Spirit’s power in his/her life?
Colossians 1:28 We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
SUSIE: Paul’s determination was to preach the simple truths of the Gospel message . . .
SUSAN: . . . Jesus and His accomplishment on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
for I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection].
1 Corinthians 2:2 (AMP)
SUSIE: Paul spread the good news and trusted that Jesus would apply it to the lives of the hearers.
SUSAN: Paul taught doctrine—taught Christians how to live—in his writings. However, his primary life’s purpose was proclaiming Christ and Him crucified. He made clear to his hearers and readers that Jesus was crucified in their place to atone for their sin.
ACTIVITY: Look up a popular method of sharing the Gospel message such as “The Roman Road,” “Evangelism Explosion,” or gospel tracts such as “Steps to Peace with God.” Write out your own brief presentation of the basic Gospel message. Practice sharing it with another believer. Then, share it with a person who needs to know Jesus.
Colossians 1:29 To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.
SUSAN: Paul was an “energizer bunny” because Christ was his perpetual, holy infusion of strength and power.
SUSIE: The characters in The Lord of the Rings were sustained by Lembas bread baked by elves.
SUSAN: Paul had no need of that because he was filled with the Bread of Life. And he was careful to give Jesus the glory for his work. Spurgeon expressed this need to remember and glorify the Source of his strength as well:
And if there is any glory, any praise resulting from the work which we achieve, let us be careful to lay it all at the Redeemer’s feet.
The Spurgeon Study Bible, Alistair Begg, editor
CHALLENGE: We are all commanded to proclaim Jesus, to share the gospel with others. No, we do not all have the gift of evangelism; but we can all tell our friends and family the good news of what Jesus has done for us. Make it a point to share the Gospel with someone this week! Maybe use the presentation you wrote out or a “Gospel tract.” Journal about the experience.